SWALLOWTAIL
DESCRIPTION
In the gritty seaside town of Quincy, Massachusetts, the killing of a teenager on her daughter’s dance team plunges Detective Samantha Star into the trauma of her abduction twenty years before. As clues point to a serial killer obsessed with Surrealism and Greek myth, Sam must unravel the mystery of her own kidnapping to solve the crime–before her daughter is next. At stake are not just the teenagers’ lives, but also Sam’s identity as a detective and an artist, and a community’s chance at healing. SWALLOWTAIL is the moving story of a woman’s journey to free herself from the trauma of her past, and a thought-provoking exploration of violent representations of women in myth and art.
Perfect for fans of Mare of Easttown and Dennis Lehane!
REVIEWS
maintains plenty of nerve-shredding tension
A Massachusetts detective investigates the possible reemergence of the serial killer she once escaped in this sturdy procedural from Ross (Half in Love with Death). In 1994, 16-year-old Samantha Star and her friend Bridget McGann were abducted after accepting a ride from a male stranger in Quincy, Mass. Detective Brian O’Neil managed to rescue Samantha, but not before Bridget was stabbed to death by the girls’ abductor, who left a yellow butterfly “on the ribbon of blood that separated her head from her body.” Bridget’s killer then went on to murder a string of other women and place butterflies on their corpses, earning him the nickname “the butterfly killer.” Twenty years later, Samantha has become O’Neil’s partner on the Quincy police force. When a friend of her daughter’s is found with a bashed-in skull and a blue butterfly on her throat, Samantha and O’Neil fear that the butterfly killer has returned—but their boss and the mayor pressure the detectives to prove that it’s the work of a copycat. Ross doesn’t reinvent the wheel, slickly executing rather than subverting the well-established tropes of the serial killer thriller. She maintains plenty of nerve-shredding tension, however, and makes her lead’s trauma palpable. This gets the job done.
a Masterclass for the genre
This was about as twisty and turny of a psychological thriller that I’ve ever read. It’s like Dance Moms turned True Crime Podcast portrayed on Lifetime After Dark. In like the best possible way. It was just Scooby-Doo level of thinking you knew who did what but being wrong. Over and over. But not in a forced way. In a really wild way that just unraveled layer after layer. Having this set in Quincy added another level of interest for me with so many familiar places. I am insanely impressed at how well thought out this was. And how it hovered on the edge of almost too complicated. Because I LOVE when I’m surprised. And when I’m surprised exactly when I’m supposed to be. And when I piece things together exactly when I am supposed to. Really a Masterclass for the genre. This is one of the rare easy recommendations for any level of reader.
gorgeously dark, and unforgettable
Swallowtail by Emily Ross opens with a chilling echo of the past when a modern day murder mirrors an unsolved crime from twenty years earlier, the one that nearly took Detective Samantha Star’s life. As a teenager, Sam survived a serial killer who left butterfly imagery behind, but took her best friend. Now, as a seasoned detective in Quincy, Massachusetts, she’s forced to confront the possibility that the butterfly killer has returned or that someone is recreating his signature in terrifying detail. When the victim is a teen connected to Sam’s own daughter, the case becomes deeply personal, pulling Sam into a race against time where every clue drags up old trauma leaving unrecovered memories just on the periphery.
What makes this book truly stand out, especially after having the chance to interview Emily Ross, is how layered and human it feels. Yes, it’s a gripping police procedural, but Samantha isn’t a detective chasing monsters from a distance; she survived one. She’s broken, flawed, resilient, and so real that by the end you feel like you’ve lived this story with her. Her partnership with Brian is one of my favorite dynamics I’ve read in a long time, built on trust, respect, and emotional support that goes far beyond “I’ve got your six.” And then there’s the brilliant use of Greek mythology woven into the crimes themselves. As unsettling as it sounds, the killer treats each murder as a form of art, staging bodies around tragic myths with haunting butterfly symbolism that’s both beautiful and horrifying. The way Ross blends mythology, trauma, atmosphere, and psychological suspense is something I’ve truly never seen done like this before. Swallowtail is emotionally driven, gorgeously dark, and unforgettable, and absolutely deserves a spot on your TBR.
NEWS & PODCASTS
The Patriot Ledger: Crime thriller set in Quincy shows city’s beauty and rough edges
See the Patriot Ledger photo gallery from “Swallowtail,” the 2025 thriller by author Emily Ross, is set in a changing Quincy still rooted in a troubled past.
Bonnar Spring’s Crimewave Podcast in Conversation with Emily Ross
Crime Reads: 4 Novels That Give a Voice to Massachusetts’ Blue-Collar Communities. Emily Ross reflects on Boston-adjacent tales from Dennis Lehane, Chuck Hogan, and others.
Emily Ross: The Chicken or the Egg of Character and Plotting. The 7AM Novelist podcast with Michelle Hoover.
Marc Foster interviews Emily Ross on DeadDarlings
A Mighty Blaze’s Crime Time in conversation with Hank Phillippi Ryan
Boston Globe: A grittier view of Quincy in Emily Ross’s ‘Swallowtail’
ADVANCE PRAISE
"Set on the gritty streets of Quincy, Mass., SWALLOWTAIL introduces tough, seasoned detective Samantha Star, who must stare down her past when a serial killer who haunted her teenage years returns to kill again. Ross’s adult debut delivers the goods, bringing rich atmosphere, deep characterization, plenty of '90s nostalgia, and a taut storyline that will keep you turning pages well into the night. Fans of Mare of Easttown will love this one!"— Edwin Hill, author of Who to Believe
“Emily Ross powerfully and authentically reveals the gritty reality, disturbing history, and the fierce loyalties of small-town life. SWALLOWTAIL is gorgeously written, and is clearly born from a deep knowledge of those whose lives Ross so genuinely portrays—people whose hopes won’t quit, whose friendships endure, and whose dreams propel them into dangers they could never have predicted. Evocative, compelling, and utterly heartbreaking, this is an unforgettable story.” — Hank Phillippi Ryan, award winning author of Her Perfect Life
"Emily Ross elevates the small-town murder mystery with complex female dynamics, a series of increasingly twisted crimes rooted in Greek mythology, and a New England community that bears scars. An artful exploration of trauma and obsession that delivers reveal after stunning reveal with narrative muscle and heart, SWALLOWTAIL is top-notch crime fiction.” — Tessa Wegert, author of In the Bones
“In Ross's striking novel, Greek mythology and small town New England go head-to-head in a page-turning thriller about the truths we work to keep buried, or can't bear to reveal. Ross blends gritty realism with heartbreak and loss in a story that will linger in your memory, led by a protagonist you'll want to revisit again and again.”—Christine Murphy, author of Notes on Surviving the Fire
“Swallowtail is a haunting, dual-timeline mystery about how our pasts are never really forgotten and how we must wrestle with them in order to live fully in the present. Full of art and mythology, this eerie crime novel unfolds with grace and a big helping of suspense. A terrific read!” — Sarah Stewart Taylor, author of the Maggie D'arcy and Bethany, Vermont mystery series
"A taut, twisty thriller that winds through the gritty and gentrified streets of Quincy, in search of a myth-obsessed serial killer who sees his victims as models for his art, Swallowtail keeps you guessing until its explosive end."—Stephanie Gayle, author of Idyll Threats.
"Blending the disparate worlds of teen dancers and townie detectives, Ross has choreographed a mesmerizing pas de deux of past trauma and present-day terror in this chilling mystery, where everyone and everything is suspect–even memory." –Kelly J. Ford, Anthony-nominated author of Real Bad Things.
“A twisty, nail-biter of a mystery that raises the stakes on cat-and-mouse. Will keep readers guessing.” — Kimberly G. Giarratano, author of the Billie Levine mystery series.
“I’m a huge fan of Emily Ross’ writing and Swallowtail is her best book yet. Ross expertly mixes mythological tales, teenage longing, and thrilling murders for a result unlike anything you’ll ever read. Much like the art in her story, Swallowtail is a masterpiece that dives into what it means to find where you truly belong. You won’t be able to put this down!” —Amina Akhtar, Bestselling Author of Almost Surely Dead and Kismet
"The almost mythic cycle of death repeats itself in Quincy, Massachusetts, for a new generation of teens stalked by an emotionally stunted but deadly killer returned from the '90s to strike again. The best chance to stop him lies with his previous 'last girl,' Samantha 'Sam' Star, now a Quincy homicide detective and mom to her own vulnerable teen. Fast-paced, lean, and taut, with more twists than the Mount Washington Auto Road, Ross is a force to be reckoned with. "—Zakariah Johnson, author of Mink: Skinning Time in Wisconsin